Bloody Angels
by FudoTwin17
Summary: The best villain is a hero, because they don't lose. The best hero is one who gives everything up to do what they must, even if that means becoming a villain. Now, a hero must become a villain to save both his family and the villains that once were heroes.
1. Chapter 1

FudoTwin17: Hey! Well, I decided to write another story. This is going to be a full out story, and ,if you want, I will accept OC's and story ideas, because I'm a lonely person who lives with my cat and would love to talk to you people for any reason whatsoever.

GoldFish # 1: It's true.

FudoTwin17: Shut up. I'm venting.

Cat: . . . What's wrong with living with your cat? After all, I am fluffy and loveable.

FudoTwin17: Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . .

Dog # 1: She doesn't own Young Justice.

FudoTwin17: Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . .

Prologue

_"I have chosen the next member of the team." A calm, strategizing voice echoed through the cold, silent room._

A guard glanced around as he continued to scope his area, looking for any intruders. It was empty. It almost made him smile, but he was too stressed and careful to accept the small gesture and continued scoping the area, not thinking about the consequences of what would happen if he missed something.

_"You have deemed them fit, Master?" Asked another voice, too worn for her age._

There was a quiet noise of something falling to his feet as his head snapped down. His eyes widened in understanding. His grip tightened on his gun. This was bad.

_"I have. But obtaining him will be a greater challenge than any other you have faced." The truly old voice replied._

White smoke filled the air around him. He moved backward carefully, backup coming up behind him. He was thankful he didn't have to call them. They were just there.

_"How so, M-Master?" The youngest voice choked, still uncomfortable calling someone 'Master'. _

A grappling gun shot the tall building, easily letting the figure glide though the darkness with relative ease.

_"He is trained better than any of you were at the times of your capture." Everyone else in the room shifted uncomfortably, ignoring the unhappiness in the woman's voice as she focused on the youngest._

A elated cackle drifted through the erie quiet. The guard knew he was in trouble immediately. He knew the laugh. He knew the danger. He knew the vigilante.

_"And how else is he dangerous that he would require a briefing n how we take him, Master?" Asked a edgy young man who seemed the oldest of the males in the room._

He wasn't surprised when he heard the backup being beaten up. This was really bad.

_"This young man is dear to the Justice League and is on his own team, Young Justice. They will not give him up without a fight. You all are needed to capture this boy." The leader stared at her own team._

Then, the boy dropped down in front of him in plain sight. The Bat wasn't even there. That was enough to make the guard want to hide in the boy's bathroom like he would in high school. Instead he lifted his gun.

_"Master, we must break his will?" A young girl's voice asked._

"Stop!"

_"Yes."_

"Typical evil villain. You always try to order me around like I'm going to do it." He rolled his eyes behind his mask.

_"Break his will, Master?" _

The guard trembled.

_"Yes."_

"I-I'll shoot!"

_"Break his closest bonds, Master?"_

"Yeah, right."

_"Yes."_

"I mean it!"

"_Force him to our side, Master?"_

"No, you don't."

_"Use every happiness-"_

"I-"

_"Every pain-"_

"Drop the gun and walk away. I might spare you."

_"Every deed, good or bad-"_

The guard stared.

_"Even those who he would give everything for-"_

He felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders as the gun fell to the ground at his feet.

_"Master?"_

He stared up at the one super hero he would always admire, thank, and defend. The youngest. The greatest. The one most amazing and merciful human he'd ever encountered. The amazing and forgiving boy. The one no one paid enough attention to, but it didn't matter to him.

_"Yes."_

Robin.

FudoTwin17: YAY! Well, please review! I hopes you liked it!

Cat: Yeah.

Dog # 2: PETMEPETMEPETME!

Dog # 1: Bye!


	2. Chapter 2

FudoTwin17: Hi! I'm back!

Cat: She has an announcement.

FudoTwin17: You bet I do.

Goldfish # 1: Yep.

FudoTwin17: Ah, anyways, as you guys may know, some of my stories are coming to a close.

Cat: Poor you.

FudoTwin17: Yes, poor me. Ah, I would like to keep fifteen stories going at a time, so I have a poll set up so that you can vote on whatever you would like me to write. My ideas are completely original and ready to be voted on. It's your choice. Please vote!

Cat: She thankfully doesn't own Young Justice.

FudoTwin17: I need your votes in by the end of whatever story of mine ends first. Now, on to the chapter!

Chapter 1

Robin was eerily silent as he typed away on his laptop. He always like that when no one was there to bother him. Whenever he was left alone, he would resort to his 'Batman mode', as Wally called it. He would get online and pay his respects while he couldn't in person.

It was a online article that was around five years old. The Flying Graysons were a huge story around that time. Even years after their deaths the papers were still making money off of the amazing acrobats tragic ends. Then, after everyone knew what happened to the Graysons, they made money off of their son, always mentioning as they reported that his parents were the Flying Graysons, they fell to their tragic death, and that Bruce Wane had taken him in. Same story each time. If it weren't such a painful reminder he wouldn't even register that they had said it. It had become a part of who he was, who he pretended to be.

"Hey, what's up?" Wally asked as he fell on the couch next to him.

Robin shut his computer and smirked as not to inform Wally of how important that had been to him, "The ceiling, the atmosphere, dust, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen-"

"Never mind!" Wally shouted.

"You did ask."

Artemis smirked as she fell on the couch next to Robin.

"But that isn't what it literally means-"

"Literally means the actual definition, therefore anything outward from the Earth is _literally _up." By that point, Artemis couldn't control her laughter.

"Shut it, Blondie!"

"Why should I, Baywatch?"

As their arguing continued, Robin smirked. Sometimes, they were too much for even the boy wonder to control.

Robin noticed as Kal walked in. he usually took it upon himself to break the two up since he was team leader, but right then he looked so beat down, so tired, that he just plain didn't look like he could handle them. Robin's frown deepened. Kal was almost never like that. He, in a split decision, turned around and walked away.

Eyes narrowed, Robin disappeared to the training room. When he was uncomfortable or feeling inadequate, he would train. He figured it was a hero thing. Like he suspected, Kal was abusing a punching bag.

Robin slipped in and watched for a while as Kal almost ripped it to shreds. At one point, though, Kal couldn't contain himself.

He threw a punch with all the might he had only to miss the bag and be thrown off balance. He collapsed on the ground. He started to sit up only for the bag to finally break and land on him. Kal sighed and just laid there.

Feeling the stress and pain radiating off him, Robin grabbed a water bottle and appeared next to him. Kal's eyes widened when he felt the large weight moved off him and he saw the tiny bird roll it away. Robin sat down next to him and handed him the water.

They sat like that for a few moments. Kal glancing over curiously at the little bird and Robin sitting contentedly next to him. Kal couldn't take the silence for very long.

"What were you doing here?" Kal questioned. _Am I really that see through?_

Instead of answering the question spoken, Robin answered the one he had really asked. "Yeah. You looked stressed. Distracted. Upset."

He sighed, "Did the others see?" _Are the others worried? Did they see me like this? I don't want anyone to see me like this._

"No. I just figured I would be here for you just in case you needed to talk to someone." _I'm here. I won't judge. Talk to me when you're ready._

Kal sighed. He could tell that the boy would be an amazing leader when he was older.

"I . . . I recently found that my best friend and my . . . other friend were together." _My best friend and the girl I love had been together and decided to keep it from me. _Robin nodded. "I found out after I talked to her about . . . lessons." _I was going to stay in Atlantis for her. _He felt ashamed admitting it, even when he didn't use the exact words, but saw no resentment from the bird who undeniably understood. "I know I should have gotten over it by now, but I just-I can't." He laughed, "It's rather pathetic."

Robin's deep frown didn't change, "It's not pathetic. It's completely understandable. They kept it from you, letting your hope get up, then they tore your world apart. You aren't to blame for anything."

Kal stared.

Robin sighed, "When I was younger, I lived on the road with my family. Once, there was this girl. Jackie was her name." She had been a young magician. Her family had been with the circus for a longer time than Dick's. "And I'll admit to having a bit of a crush on her. Then, my closest friend, Mathew," a clown in training, "started acting strange around her, and she him." Robin noticed Kal start to pay more attention, "They were always together, so when he began to back off, I took my chances. She never claimed to be in a relationship or really refused me. Then, when I was taking a short walk," He was really on his way to practice for the upcoming show, "I saw them together. Not just together, but _together_. It really hit deep."

Robin didn't wait long for the response he had been hoping for, "What did you do?"

"I spoke with my dad. He always had ready wisdom, even if he was a little bit of a eccentric guy." Robin sighed sadly when there was a sad pull at his chest, "He told me that friends would always fail while trying to do what was best for them and us. He told me that I had to let go. If a girl didn't feel the same, then I should try to just be what she wanted me to be; a friend. And, even though it hurt, I found that you have to remain equally good to that friend that you felt betrayed you. If they are your friends, they won't shut you off." Robin smiled.

Kal smiled back, the weight on his heart lightened. It was times like these that he felt like he was thirteen and Robin was sixteen. It was almost surprising how great a friend Robin was. He was truly the boy wonder.

"I hope one day to meet your father. He sounds like a wise man." Kal said, leaving Robin with a depressed frown.

"Yeah. He was." The way he said it made Kal's heart skip a beat. He felt like he said something wrong, but just couldn't pinpoint it. Before he could say something, they were interrupted.

There was the sound of something crashing, then breaking, then a scream that sounded strangely like Megan's. Then-

"WALLY!" Conner was yelling. Never a good sign.

"KALDUR!" That was Wally. He was definitely in trouble.

"You better go take care of that." Robin said, his face half hidden by shadow in the brightly lit room. He sounded like he was in his his Batman persona.

As much as Kal wanted to stay with Robin, he could feel the tension coming from the kitchen. Besides, he knew when he was dismissed. He sighed, heading for the door then stopping. Robin sent him a curious glance.

"I will be here if you ever need someone to talk to." He told the younger boy before making his swift exit.

Robin sat there for second stunned. After a moment of peace and quiet, he smiled in gratitude, trying to rid himself of the discomfort the Batman persona brought with it.

"Thanks." He said to the empty room.

_Thanks._

FudoTwin17: UG! That took so long to write!

Cat: At least it's been written.

Goldfish # 1: Yeah. ***starts crying***

Dog # 1: And It starts again.

FudoTwin17: For those of you that didn't know, my little goldfish # 2 has passed.

Dog # 3: I blame the cat. He probably gave the fish a heart attack.

Cat: All I care about is the fact that I didn't get to have the body.

FudoTwin17: ***sweatdrop*** R&R! Bye!

Cat: Don't forget the poll!


	3. Chapter 3

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been working on the OC's for this story.

Cat: Tell them the rest.

FudoTwin17: . . . . Um, I have momentary writer's block, so I hope this chapter turns out well considering I have no idea what I'm going to write.

Goldfish # 1: Yeah, that always works out.

FudoTwin17: Hush, you. Um, I don't own Young Justice.

Chapter 2

A mission. They finally had a mission. They were all tense and, even though it had been so long, they were ready.

That's why when the bio-ship stopped most of the team scrambled out swiftly. They knew time was of the essence and that all their lives were in mortal danger.

The mission was to stop a dangerous criminal sport that involved kidnapping kids from ages ten to seventeen, hunting them for sport, and killing them, taking the ransom while the kid's body parts would circulate the police system, searching for a match on their identity. Of course, this wasn't just dangerous, it was deadly.

Usually, the league would handle something so dangerous that the police couldn't, but there was a catch.

When the league found out about the sick sport, they were contacted in the watch tower. The ones responsible knew their identities and were specifically monitoring all of them. If the league tried to intervene, not only would they be killed, but their identities would be spread world wide, and all those close to them would be hurt.

The league, unable to help, sent the kids. Their partners weren't being monitored and, with one of them undercover, they wouldn't be found out about until too late.

When Megan linked them up, Aqualad was the first to speak. _Is everyone connected?_

_ I'm here. _Kid Flash said, for once not joking.

_Same. _Artemis stated.

_Here. _Superboy said simply. Even he was nervous.

_Robin?_ Megan asked.

_Sorry, I'm here. _He replied seriously.

_What's going on in there? _Aqualad asked the youngest.

Robin was posing as a kidnapped kid. His eyes had contacts to make them brown and his hair was dyed light brown, almost blond. He wore ripped skinny jeans and a unintentionally ripped black shirt. He wore eyeliner and had fishnet gloves that extended from his knuckles to his shoulders. No one would ever recognize him.

_At the moment, the kidnappers are in their main room, discussing who they would hunt first. We-_he meant the kidnapped kids-_are being held in dog crates. I'm not exactly sure in which part of the building it is. _He was extremely serious.

_Okay. Keep us updated. _Kal said.

_Will do. _He answered back.

_So, what's the plan? _Wally asked after a long silence.

_We are to watch and, when one of them is released, we get the kid, knock out the person, and we send in our group until we are all inside. At that point we remove all digital information on the Justice League that they have, and Megan begins erasing their memories of such. _Kal explained for the ninth time.

_Oh._

_Got it this time, Kid? _Artemis asked.

Before an argument could brake out, a voice came over the link.

_Something's happening. I can't tell what, but I think- _Robin was abruptly cut off.

_Robin! _Superboy shouted. When things like this happened, Superboy couldn't help it. Robin was a little brother to him. He was constantly afraid of what would happen to Robin, as he knew everyone on the team and Justice League were as well. There was something about Robin that was irresistible. The protectiveness was almost immediate. It was times like these that it caused problems.

Kal took the initiative before Superboy did. _Change of plans. We- _

_ I'm good. _Robin's voice came. It sounded rushed.

_What just happened? _Wally asked in a rush. He was definitely worried.

_A slight complication. Go with the normal plan. One of the thugs is about to release a girl using the back entrance. _He didn't expand on the 'slight complication'.

Kal sounded unsure, but he finally agreed.

If only they knew the horrors that were in store.

FudoTwin17: Yeah. I hope you liked that. I was planning on giving you guys the whole mission, but I just _had _to stop here. He, he, he.

Cat: Um, anyways, she would appreciate it if you would review.

Dog # 1: Yep. Bye.


	4. Chapter 4

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys! ***gets pie to face***

Cat: I'd laugh, but it's too ironic.

FudoTwin17: Thanks.

Goldfish # 1: You're welcome!

FudoTwin17: I wasn't talking to you! Oh, right, story. Guys, I'm really sorry. I have to do the last chapter from Robin's point of view on this, and I had to create an oc that didn't want to work with me. Really. I spent a lot of time figuring out how she works, so I hope you like her . . . to a point. Anyways, I still have to make a lot of oc's, so I'm sorry if the chapters are ever short, not updated quickly, or anything else that I can't help.

Goldfish # 1: Wow, that was a lot.

Cat: Yep. She doesn't own YJ.

Chapter 3

Robin shivered. The room was cold, dark, and just plain gloomy. He didn't like it at all. Plus, when he woke from his kidnapping, he found out he was in a dog crate. That did not make him happy at all. Well, he would be used to hanging out in a dog crate, but when he saw that the other kids, he felt positively furious. There were five of them.

The first was a ten year old girl, sobbing in the back of her cage. The second was a boy around fourteen, trying to work at the bars with a pocket knife. The third was a boy around sixteen, who was unsuccessfully trying to pick the crying girl's lock. The next one was a girl around fifteen, who was knocked out in the back of her cage. She had fallen after hitting her head too hard when ramming against the opening door of the cage.

They were just kids, but they were careful and trying to survive. It made him guilty when he thought about the body parts of the last victims. He tried to force himself to think about after the mission was over.

He would be eating pizza with Wally, teaching not so real words to Conner, talking with Kal, laughing with Megan, and placing a bucket of water on the top of Wally's door with Artemis. He sighed.

_Is everyone connected? _Kal asked.

_I'm here. _Kid said.

_Same. _Artemis.

_Here. _Definitely Conner.

He was just about to reply when a voice caught his attention, "Aren't you going to help us?"

It was the sixteen year old who was working on the little girl's bars. He was angrily picking, half-looking at Robin. The other boy had just started working on the little girls bars too. He acted shocked.

"Oh, uh, yeah." He acted like he was searching his pockets for something before coming up with a pocket knife. He go to work on her bars.

_Robin? _Asked Megan, a little fear in her voice.

_Sorry, I'm here. _

_ What's going on in there? _Aqualad asked.

He looked around. He only wanted to give minor details. No need to distract them with things so unnecessarily important as this. _At the moment the kidnappers are in their main room, discussing who they hunt first. We are being held in dog crates. I'm not exactly sure which part of the building it is._

_ Okay. Keep us updated. _He stated.

Robin sighed. He ignored what they started talking about. He didn't care anyways. It was right then that it happened.

"Oh, yeah. A guy could get used to having a girl like you around." One of the kidnappers said, holding a girl close to him. She could have been anywhere from sixteen to twenty-five. He couldn't figure out which was closer.

They slipped into the room, him holding her close and her wildness bringing out something . . . abnormal. Every guy in the room stopped.

Robin couldn't figure out why, but after a moment of being unable to do anything, he managed to swing his arm up to go back to sawing at the little girl's bars. It seemed like his energy was drained. It was hard to do his work, but giving up? No, that was something that he didn't do.

He still watched them, though.

She pulled his head close, so she could reach him. Her lips had just brushed his when she let go and dusted off her hands. In confusion, Robin glanced at the man that she had originally been cuddling. His hands stayed stiff at his sides and his face was blank. What-

She sent him a chilling glare and he turned, walking into a corner and squeezing into it and piling stuff on top of him until he wasn't able to do it anymore. Robin turned to look at her, curious and somewhat hopeful.

Hopeful that she was on his side. He didn't want her on another side, especially if she was against him. That would spell trouble, lots of it.

_Something's happening! I can't tell what, but-_

She turned to him, and walked straight toward him. This was even worse.

She knelt down and got close to the bars. Her skin was perfectly smooth and toned evenly. Her eyebrows were arched perfectly. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue, as they weren't too dark or light, but just in between. Her lips were a lush pink and her small, yet not petite build was perfect for her. Golden locks fell a bit below her shoulders. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a tank top.

Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "I'm on your side, Dick. Oh, and tell the rest of your team that the girl is next. They've decided on her. The back." She placed a kiss on his check.

She withdrew quietly and crept away.

Once Robin started breathing again, he realized he couldn't think. His mind was foggy and he couldn't process his thoughts. And his check burned!

He blinked, finally coming back to the land of the living. _Change of plans! We-_

_ I'm good. _He said.

_What happened?_ KF asked, worried.

_A slight complication. Go with the normal plan. One of the thugs is about to release a girl using the back entrance. _He shifted uncomfortably. This was pretty bad.

Of course, she was telling the truth. A thug had just walked in. this was going to be interesting.

FudoTwin17: Hey! I hope you enjoyed that!

Cat: She really does.

FudoTwin17: Of course!

Goldfish # 1: Yeah. Review. Bye . . . for now.

FudoTwin17: That sounded kinda stalker-ish.


	5. Chapter 5

FudoTwin17: Hey! Sorry I haven't been updating much. But I'm here! So that's changing right now.

Goldfish # 1: What the geek meant is that she's updating.

Cat: Way to make it simple.

Goldfish # 1: Gotta make sure they can understand, right?

FudoTwin17: Shut up and do the disclaimer.

Goldfish # 1: Feeling rather mad, aren't we?  
>FudoTwin17: Yeah, and I have the cat, so do the disclaimer already!<p>

Goldfish # 1: . . . She doesn't own Young Justice. Just the stupid stuff you see in the chapters.

FudoTwin17: Oh! I almost forgot. I'm not going into detail of the whole operation thing. The thing is is simply that it has served it's purpose. Now! Chapter time!

Chapter 4

_Be ready. They are coming. _Aqualad commanded over the link. Everyone tensed in anticipation, ready for them to come out. The girl had to be made safe. So, when a tall man with a shotgun in hand walked out with a small, shaking blond, the teens went in. The guy, knocked out by Kal, was replaced with Superboy, while they took the little girl to the bioship to be kept until the mission was complete, which wouldn't be too long.

And he was right. It seemed like minutes before the whole place fell to the ground in ruins. The most shocking part to all of them was when the team, after having tied up everyone on the opposite side, walked into where the victims were.

The strange girl wasn't with them. Robin wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But, since he wasn't planning on informing the team, he supposed it could be good.

When they saw the kids, no longer sawing at their bars, in cages, Megan couldn't help but gasp.

Robin almost smirked. _Guys, you should probably keep it from them that I'm-_

"Robin!" Wally gasped, running over.

Robin sighed. "Of all the times you could have opened your mouth, you chose now, Kid Idiot?"

The others that had been taken gasped. "You're Robin!"

Robin sighed. "Yeah, you could say that." He pulled his belt out of seemingly nowhere and picked the lock. He was out quicker than it took Wally to kick open the door of the little girl. Robin freed the rest of them since he was so much faster than the speedster.

Once they got back to the ship and the little girl found that he was Robin, they found that the little girl clung to Robin as if he were her own teddy bear. Robin didn't seem to mind. The little girl seemed to find comfort in him more than the rest of the team. It was probably since he understood what she went through.

Or, at least, that was what they figured.

Of course, it was around that time when KF was talking to Robin that he noticed it. "Dude, what happened?" Wally scooted around the girl in an instant to touch his cheek, that burned in response. "You're burned."

Robin frowned. Then it clicked. The burning sensation from when she had kissed him on the cheek. He rose his hand to touch it, then realizing that the entire team was staring at him. He had to play this off fast! "Um, I don't know. Must have happened while I was out." He shrugged.

The older kids that had been in the room at the time gave him curious looks before turning away. He was thankful for their silence. He didn't want his team to know about it . . . for now, anyways. First he wanted to find out who she was and whose side she was on. He didn't want to tell them with no information to give. Especially not now.

Not now that they had a successful mission and saved their mentors. Not now that the Justice League might take them seriously. He just couldn't ruin everything in that room.

Besides, he could speak to Batman after the debriefing. That would work fine. Besides, what could he harm?

Just his friends, their friendship, his private life, their trust-

He cut himself off before he could continue. He wouldn't tell himself things like that. He simply had to do more research and he could inform them properly. Yep, that's what he would do. He sighed, sinking back into his chair as he listened to Wally with one ear and adjusted the little girl with the other.

He had to do this.

He felt it was wrong.

He felt like the League.

. . .

Robin waited until the rest of the team had left before he spoke with Batman, who immediately seemed to sense that something was up. He chose his words carefully before speaking.

"There's a problem."

Batman rose his eyebrows as if to say that he was there to listen.

"There may be a new vigilante. Or villain."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you speak with the team?"

"I can't ruin today with little knowledge or proof that what happened was real."

Taking a step forward, Batman touched his cheek, noticing the burn for the first time. "I see. Did they do this?"

Robin nodded. "If she was really a villain, though, she would have fought us, right?"

Batman could see the doubt behind his own words. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that Robin knew he was kidding himself. He ran a hand through the boy's hair. "Go shower. You can take the night with your friends."

Robin nodded, taking his advise. He would wait until morning to make a file and research anything on her. He thanked Batman with a smile and disappeared through the door.

Tomorrow would be a better day full of less secrets and fewer mishaps. Plus, the partners might get recognized. He sighed.

But he highly doubted that any of it was true.

FudoTwin17: I'm sorry, it was bad.

Goldfish # 1: BAD!

FudoTwin17: SHUT UP! Sorry, I just had a bad day. I couldn't write very well since I was distracted and I'm sorry. I was hoping that this was better than nothing. Sorry, again.

Cat: What-

FudoTwin17: My life is boring. Leave it as is. Review nicely please. I don't think I can take anymore bad happenings. ***tear***


	6. Chapter 6

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys. ***dodges a flying apple*** I'm really sorry I haven't updated in, like, forever!

Cat: Explanation time.

FudoTwin17: Not only have I been somewhat sick, beat up, MY GOLDFISHES ARE DEAD, and working on my school play stuff, but I have been having OC problems. It's like I know who they are and what they look like, but I want to draw them for you guys to see on Diviantart if you want. So . . . . yeah.

Dog # 1: Wow.

FudoTwin17: Yep. Okay, I don't want to keep you from the chapter, so I don't own Young Justice.

Chapter 5

When Robin opened his eyes, he realized that he could barely breathe. Wally's arm was wound around around his chest and Artemis was using him for both a personal teddy bear and a pillow. Kaldur's hand rested on his leg. Did everyone just want to touch him? He figured he'd fallen asleep during the movie, which explained his weird dream about falling off a rainbow onto a horse and riding off to save some chick who really didn't need saving. Weird.

His eyes flitted over to where Conner and Megan had been sharing the loveseat. He frowned. Megan laid there curled up and clutching her Hello Kitty blanket.

Where was Conner?

Robin frowned, beginning to wiggle out of his team's holds. He was going to find out.

. . .

Conner was silent. He stood on a ledge of the disguised mountain in the grass. He let himself stare at the starry sky and the ocean as huge waves crashed down. It was times like this that he needed to himself. It was easy to be mad, but he preferred calm. Either way, he could still let himself think up there without having to do anything else.

"Hey." Robin whispered as he sat down next to Conner.

Conner, not expecting to see the young bird, felt his eyes widen. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

The younger shrugged. "Shouldn't you?"

Conner shrugged this time and the two boys lapsed into silence.

Conner, feeling all those human emotions that he wished he didn't have, couldn't help but look over at the bird. "You know you could have died, right?"

"Yeah." Robin replied, acting as if it were a fact of life. "I usually almost die. It can get pretty tiring."

Conner nodded, not knowing what to say. Honestly, that day had been very uncomfortable for him. Lately, he had just been feeling more protective. And when Robin didn't reply back, his worry had started kicking in sooner than it really should have.

Robin glanced at him, understanding completely. The team was the only family Conner had since Superman refused to acknowledge him. And the sudden idea that he could loose one of them was starting to come through. It was starting to really get to him, and he didn't want to loose any of his family.

Dumb Superman.

"You know what, though?" Robin asked, not looking at Conner, but up at the sky. Conner looked at the bird, curious and followed his gaze into the sky. "Every day since I was eight, I've been in Gotham with Batman at my side, watching over me. If Gotham can't kill me, I don't think that that mission could have either."

Conner still didn't feel better, but he nodded anyway. "Okay. I was just . . . ." He let himself trail off, unsure of what to say.

"Worried? That's fine, Conner." Robin pursed his lips, looking up at the sky. "Have you ever heard of The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship?" He asked gently.

Conner looked at him. "No."

"Well, it goes that once, there were three peasant brothers. The oldest of the two were handsome and clever while the other was simple and child-like. Their parents loved the two oldest boys, but sometimes, they forgot to even feed their fool child. But the fool never held a grudge."

Conner nodded in understanding. He didn't understand why he was being told the story, but he listened intently anyways. Robin always had a point.

"Around that time, King Tsar announced that whoever could find a flying ship that could sail through the sky would be given his daughter's hand in marriage. The fool's brothers, determined to build such a ship to become rich and powerful, were given by their mother fine clothes and lots of food. They were never heard of again. But after that, fool said he wanted to too, but his mother told him he was too stupid. His mother turned her back on him and he set off with just water and burnt crusts. His parents were glad he was gone." Robin's eyes were shut.

Somehow, Conner found himself getting the message. He understood the fool well. He was denied by Superman although he saw the man be very kindly toward other young superheroes. He could relate with the fool.

"Anyway, the fool set off and, on his way to find such a boat and marry the princess, he met an old man. The fool went to share what he had with the man and found that he had somehow gotten loads of food and drink and he eagerly shared it with the old man. The man told him that although his parents didn't love him, God did and that he would have a share of riches and happiness." Robin smiled.

Conner felt glad for the fool. He sounded like he deserved the riches and happiness.

"After that, he was told to make a sacred sign of a cross three times and strike it down until he collapsed and not to get up until someone woke him. He did as he was instructed and woke up to find a flying ship and he immediately got in and began flying over the treetops. As he flew, he made friend after friend and invited them on the ship. Listener had his ear to the ground and listened to the amazing things going on in the world. Swift-goer had one of his long legs tied to his head so he wouldn't step across the world in a single bound. Far-shooter had been shooting a bird from one-thousand miles away. Eater was a large man who was searching for more food to hold him over than the large amount on his back. Drinker had been searching for water. Wood-tender was a woodworker who, if planted all the wood, knew that soldiers would come out. Moujik was a man who believed that if magic straw were planted during the summer, it would instantly become a snow storm." Robin said.

Conner blinked. Those were a lot of friends.

"And so they went on singing happily and cracking jokes. When they landed at the palace, the king sent out a servant to see who this great prince was, but found they were all dirty peasants. So he set a bunch of impossible tasks to try to get out of letting his daughter marry the fool." Robin said. "The first task was to bring the king the magical water of life before dinner. The fool despaired, but swift-goer said he could get it. He untied his leg and bounded out of sight. He found the water of life, put some in a container, and was about to go back, but he was tired and fell asleep under a windmill. When he didn't return and the king was almost done with his food, Listener put his ear to the ground and found that he was asleep under a windmill with a fly buzzing on his head. Far-shooter aimed his gun and promptly shot the fly and, when the thud of the bullet was heard, Swift-goer woke and came back in less than a second. The fool gave the water to a servant who presented it to King Tzar just before he left the table."

Conner smiled. That was a way to win!

"The king then commanded that they eat twelve oxen and as much bread that could be made in forty ovens in one meal. Although the fool despaired, Eater claimed it'd just be a snack for him and gobbled it all up." Robin smirked. "Then the king commanded they drink forty barrels of wine with forty bucketfuls in each. When the fool became afraid, Drinker said he'd drink it, and so he did in one gulp and was still thirsty!" Robin glanced over to see Conner smiling. "After that, the king had no choice but to agree to the wedding, but he commanded the fool to take a bath first in the bathhouse and told his servants to make it boiling hot so the fool would burn and frizzle and not end up marrying his daughter."

Conner blinked.

"So, nervously, the fool entered with his friend Moujik, who had his magic straw. With the straw, he made the water so cold that the fool barely had time to bathe before it turned to ice. And it was so cold after that that the group slept on the stove, although they still shivered all night. Still they sang joyously. After that though, the king, still not wanting him to marry his daughter demanded that fool prove he had soldiers to protect his daughter." Robin glanced over to see Conner frown. It was starting to get ridiculous how stubborn the king was. "So the fool became depressed, but his friend Wood-tender reminded him that from his sticks came soldiers. Happier, the fool told King Tzar that if he put him off one more time, he would wage war on the country and take the princess by force."

Conner stared in shock. That was a pretty big wager.

"The fool and his friends sat on the ship all night laughing, singing, and joking around while Wood-tender placed his sticks. In the morning, the king woke up to see himself surrounded by the fool's men. There were the cavalry, foot soldiers, guns, everything! The king then immediately sent jewels, riches, fine clothes, and begged him to marry his daughter." Robin let a huge smile find it's place on his face. "The fool presented himself in the fine clothes, becoming the handsomest man in the country, and fell in love with the princess, who also loved him. They were married, he got a rich dowry, and then became so clever that all though the lands he was loved and respected. Eventually, the king and his wife got on good terms with him and he and his princess lived happily ever after."

Conner looked at Robin for a moment. "That's all?"

"Yep." Robin replied, looking at him. "But the point is, Conner, that no matter who turns their back on you, you have friends there to support you and help you along the way. In a way, that's the reason that I've survived for so long. Batman, you guys, and even the league has my back. Everyone is that fool. Everyone should have friends."

Conner looked at him. "Are you calling me a fool?" Honestly, Conner was only getting more and more confused.

Robin gave him an honest smile. "In a way, I guess. Just remember that no matter what happens, we have your back. Thick and thin. We're here."

Conner felt at a loss for words. That was what Robin was getting at. Just like the fool, when he began, he knew-experienced little in the beginning. Then he was disrespected by Superman, hated, ignored. He hurt inside for that, but he never really could hold it against Superman, no matter what. As well as that, once he left Cadmus, he found his friends. Each of them were special and great in their own way. That was what Robin was getting at. He was trying to make sure that Conner wasn't feeling alone.

Comforted, Conner couldn't help but look over and whisper, "Thanks."

Robin nodded.

A comfortable silence settled over them as they each looked down at the water and waited for the sun to rise. Finally, Conner felt a real peace settle over him.

FudoTwin17: Well, that took a while. I hope you guys liked it.

Cat: Oh, and the story doesn't belong to her either.

FudoTwin17: Nope.

Dog # 1: Just review. Bye.


	7. Chapter 7

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys!

Harley: *trying to get to Robin* I-

FudoTwin17: GET AWAY!

Robin: What she said! ***tied up right next to FudoTwin17***

Cat: . . . .

Dog # 1: She doesn't own YJ. At all.

FudoTwin17: You CAN'T HAVE ROBIN!

Chapter 6

Artemis was stunned. She was walking aimlessly along the streets, the news she had just found out ringing in her ears. She thought the heroes were impressed. She thought they wanted to shape her into a superhero because she was good. She thought she got in by herself.

And then she found out the truth.

Her mom-she begged! She _begged_! She begged for the superheroes to take her and mold her instead of her evil daddy or her disappearing sister. She could just imagine it. Batman and Green Arrow looking at one another, trying to figure out what to do with her when her mother, her torn, disabled mother, begged them with everything she had to take Artemis under their wings.

Just because she became a hero didn't change anything.

All it meant was that her mother got her in with pity and pity alone. She didn't impress anyone. She was probably a nuisance, unwanted and completely unnecessary. She knew that Wally probably felt that way. She was a replacement.

But it wasn't because Ollie just wanted someone with him, someone to replace Roy. She was his replacement for the simple reason that she was there. She was a charity case. That was all she was and, unless she did something about it, she knew that she was going to be a charity case for the rest of her life, however long or short that was.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten since she had left her home, unable to look her own mother in the eye. She just couldn't do it. She looked around. She was homeless now. She might as well find a place where she was welcome to eat.

Her sharp eyes landed on a soup kitchen. Her lip twitched. Did she really want to? Although it was a place for food for the homeless, that didn't mean that she felt perfectly comfortable waltzing in as if she owned the place. But she was hungry. She hadn't eaten in a long while and she was afraid of the questions that would be directed at her in the cave, so she had to keep everything completely normal.

Sighing, she shouldered her backpack and walked inside, finding no line, but a bunch of people eating already at perfectly clean tables.

Discomfort obvious in every step she took, she made her way to the window where a young boy was preparing a tray. She stood there for a second, watching him. He had dark blue eyes and onyx hair. His eyes were downcast but he wore an easy smile anyways. That's when she recognized him.

The freshman from her school.

_ Crap._

She had been prepared for a lot of things. Questioning, maybe. Food, definitely. A kid from her school? Absolutely not!

Before she could run or anything of that kind, he looked up and smiled at her. He placed her tray on the table, placing fruits on it. "Hey, Artemis."

"H-Hi." She said dryly.

"Having some troubles?" He asked, smiling politely.

Her lip trembled. "Uh, n-no."

His blue eyes sparkled with understanding. "You don't have to tell me. I just thought I'd let you know that you have friends. They're there for you. They're there for you to rely on."

She wished he would hurry with the tray so she could sit, but he was still placing bits of food on it that she really didn't need. "Thanks."

"You know, _Artemis_," He stressed her name more than he really needed to as he looked up, "Not everyone at Gotham Academy are completely spoiled brats."

Artemis bit her lip, praying that she could leave quickly. Her grip on her backpack tightened. "And, despite family problems or ties, you aren't your family and you can always prove someone wrong. Trust me." He smiled at her, grabbing a spoon and placing a generously sized, amazingly smelling helping of spaghetti on her plate. If it weren't for the smell, she would have made a run for it.

Her mouth was too dry to answer, though. Her family ties were too much, though. They had done so much. Her team would hate her if they found out. They wouldn't care how she tried to be a hero instead of the villain her father tried to get her to be. She was one of them!

"You are the one person that decides your life. Don't let guilt and fear control what you do." He told her.

"How am I supposed to do that?" She asked, not even thinking about it.

"Simple. Prove them wrong." He replied, smiling.

"What if I can't?" She asked, figuring that it was easier to talk to someone she didn't really know rather than someone she did. "What if-"

"There are no "what if"s. There is only what you choose to do." He told her, eyes violently storming. "You can if you tell yourself that you can. You can tell the truth. You can defend those around you with all you've got. You can be the good in your life when there seems to be only bad. And your friends will be there every step of the way." He added.

"I-" She was cut off as he slid the tray over to her. She blinked.

"There you go. Don't forget, though, that not all your family is bad. They are the ones that will do anything to keep you on the right path and watch over you every moment." He smiled.

For a moment, Artemis couldn't decided whether or not she believed that he knew about her past or her dilemma. Hesitantly, she took the tray. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He replied, smiling.

She took the tray and began walking over to an empty table. How could he possibly know any of that? How did he know that her friends would stand by him? She wasn't as sure as he seemed to be. How was that boy, completely unattached to the problem, supposed to know how to solve it or who to rely on? Her friends-

"Artemis! Catch!" His voice called. She spun around just in time to catch an apple. He smiled at her, leaning forward, his gloved hands in front of him. His smile was knowing. "Nice catch."

She blinked. "Th-Thanks?"

He smirked. She had just turned around again when she heard his voice again. "Stay traught, Arty."

She froze. It took her a moment, but she turned around quickly, staring at the unoccupied space where the black-haired freshman had once been. _Stay traught. _That was Robin's word. That was what he told her. That was what he kept saying. That was their secret.

_Stay traught._

Apple still in her clenched hand, she sat with her food, eyes staring blankly as she begun to eat. She knew two things as of right then. Besides the fact that the food was good.

She could rely on her mom. Her mom only had the best of interests. Her mom loved her. Her mom didn't want her to become a villain. Her mom didn't want to loose her like she lost Jade. Her mom was there for her.

And the other was that Robin was there for her. Of all people, Robin had her back. She could rely on Robin. He knew who she was, inside and out. And he was always going to be there. He wasn't going to fail her like so many others. And, no matter what, he was by her side.

Artemis almost swore she could hear a light cackle echoing through the large room.

. . .

"Phase one is complete?" Questioned a voice from the dark pedestal.

"Yes, Master." Replied a blond girl, bowing before the woman sitting on a throne above her. With her head bowed, her master could not see the look of hatred and anger on the familiar girl's face.

"Good." Her voice echoed. "Begin phase two."

"Yes, Master." Chorused another group of teens from beside the lone blond.

There weren't nearly enough phases to satisfy any of them. They obeyed their commands anyway, though. There weren't enough phases for Robin. The boy wonder would be broken in too small of a time.

But at least it would be longer than any of them had.

FudoTwin17: Well, I hope that was satisfying. I'm going to take a shower now.

Dog # 3: Finally!

FudoTwin17: ***glaring* **That joke wasn't funny when my dad did it and it's not funny now.

Cat: R&R!


	8. Chapter 8

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Shi Kami The Murderous Prodigy

DeathNoteMaker

Nostalgic Remedy

Paco the Taco Maker

Ireadtomuch

Marauder Heir

ScifiSOS

ncalkins

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Uzunaru999

The Next Muse

Yumiko21

Asmileadaykeepmeway

Youwillnotstopme

Firewillburn

917brat

Mai Ascot

ForbbidenForest

Blood of the Dawn

FudoTwin17

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys. I just found this on a story by Blood of the Dawn and I can seriously agree. I've had some serious hate mail and one author out to get me whom FanFiction won't allow me to block. I love you all if you read this and I'm sorry to disappoint you guys with the fact that this isn't a chapter. The next chapter I promise WILL be a real chapter, however I'm going on Hiatus until the end of Finals (Friday). Sorry, again. Please, post this to any of your stories if you feel the same. Thank you for all support and reviews. I love you all.


	9. Chapter 9

FudoTwin17: Hey, guys. :( I'm sorry that I haven't been updating, but a lot has been going on. For one, my notebook and sketchbook both went missing and they contain certain ideas for this story that I NEED to write well! As well as that, I have only found my notebook, meaning that I cannot and will not give you any extreme descriptions of my OC's. And we cannot forget that there are MANY OC's! I have a lot of them! Once again, that is a warning. I have a lot of them! Anyways, after that, I want to thank all of you. You people are amazing and you totally deserve this chapter. Anyways, since this is the second time I have written this chapter, I'm sorry that you have lost the amazingness that was the first version. However, my computer is being mean and I am having home issues. Therefore, I'm so sorry. I love you guys and I can't wait until the next episode of Young Justice. ;D Okay, I don't own Young Justice and other stuff associated with DC.

Chapter 7

Dick sighed before speeding up his skateboard. Of all mornings to be late, this wasn't good. As usual, Alfred offered to drive him, but Dick had wanted to breathe the fresh air (actually, the air wasn't all that fresh, but that was to be expected of Gotham). Thus, he took the skateboard. It was then that he realized that he should not have taken the skateboard.

After he stopped three muggings, two murders, and four kidnappings, he knew that he was going to be late for first hour if he didn't get to the school in ten minutes.

Unfortunately, he was about a half an hour away from school. Dick propelled himself forward once again, cursing the rising crime rates of his home.

Naturally, it was then that he realized that there was a guy standing in front of the skateboard's path. His eyes widened comically and he hurried to slow down the speeding skateboard beneath his feet futilely.

Dick just managed to open his mouth when he was a few feet away. "Watch out-"

WHAM!

Dick blinked the stars out of his vision as he took a moment to realize that that thing above him was the sky. He sat up, and looked at the blur that was the man he had nearly killed while speeding to school. He was a muscled, handsome young man that looked along the lines of a senior or maybe a junior in high school. He had brown hair and chocolate eyes. His skin was a nice tan that made Dick think of a California surfer.

However, when Robin looked at him, he saw the dark, dirty clothes, the sweat that was slowly dripping down his face, and the way the man's hands trembled as if sick or nervous.

Dick scrambled to his feet. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

A large amount of posters thrown around seemed to catch his attention and he scrambled to his feet, picking up as many posters as he could. Once he gathered all the flying posters, he glanced at the picture and the blood drained out of his face.

On the cover was a beautiful blond girl that, even in a photograph, couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. She was the girl from that mission.

"It's okay." The man said, sounding drained. He caught the look on the boy's face and frowned. "Are you alright?"

Dick bit his lip before looking up at the man. "I'm fine." Although the man took the posters, he continued to stare at Dick.

"Are you sure?" Dick nodded vigorously.

It was then that something in the man's face changed. He seemed to realize what could be wrong with the strange boy that had run into him. "Have you seen her? Have you seen my friend?"

Dick didn't want to lie, but Robin knew that he had to. He could see the hope in the man's eyes and he realized that this man was more than just her friend. She was everything to him. The pain and sickness was obviously there because he was ignoring his health for her. He wanted her and her alone. How could he tell this man that the girl he loved was some mysterious vigilante? And how could he tell this man without risking his and Bruce's secret IDs?

There was no way he could do it.

The man took his arms in grips of steel. Dick was sure he would get bruises later. "Please," he begged, "please, tell me where she is-or-or what you've seen! Please!"

One look at the desperation on the man's face sent pain ringing through his chest. He wrenched his arms out of the tight grip with a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but no longer a denial.

And as the shocked look crossed the man's face, Dick grasped his skateboard and ran as fast as he could.

He had six minutes to get to school on time.

. . .

Wally had a bad day. School, he found, sucked. Majorly.

First, Linda Park refused him again. Then he got beat horribly in PE. He got a C on his math test because he was so tired that he fell asleep halfway through it. Then he managed to screw up on the field and all the bank robbers got away.

He sighed. He just couldn't do anything right, could he?

Wally sighed as his entrance was announced his entrance. He slouched and slowly made his way into the kitchen. After he had found some semi-warm cookies sitting on the tray and piled all but one of them on a plate, he muttered halfheartedly, "Cooking without me? I'm wounded."

With a deep sigh, he began on his way to the couch. After he sat down and saw that the remote was indeed not where he wanted it, it took him a moment to realize that his best friend was sitting right next to him with a laptop, staring. Wally blinked.

"Hi." Wally said awkwardly, which was weird as Wally was _never _awkward.

He glanced at the laptop on his friend's lap just as he closed it. He just caught an online article for a Leah Gold, but it was gone as soon as he had seen it. As Wally looked at his best friend, he found that the burn was completely gone. It worried Wally.

There was no way Robin's face healed that fast. He must have used coverup, but it was so blended and right that he couldn't see the burn at all. Then what else was he hiding underneath the makeup?

Robin set aside the computer and turned to face Wally, leaning back with a comfortable look on his face.

Suddenly, Wally felt small. He felt like a child that had just done something wrong and had hid in the corner. He let out a breath, trying to dislodge his discomfort. However, he only felt worse.

"Bad day, huh?" The boy wonder asked.

Wally sank in his chair. "A little bit, yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?" Robin asked, voice calm.

Wally wilted, leaning forward and putting his face in his hands. He was glad that Robin asked. Even his uncle seemed to assume that he wanted to talk about his problems. They never asked what he wanted to do. But now when Robin was asking . . . .

He couldn't just stop himself.

"I've messed up left and right lately. First, I let those kids know you were Robin, and then I let those robbers get away from Central's bank, and I-I just-I can't-" Wally sighed. "I can't even get a date!" He sighed.

Robin nodded.

"And then, I've been blaming everyone else for stuff, but really I've always been the one that messes up! I mean, I trip and I fall right into the center of a gun duel! And then, we can't forget the time that I didn't listen and ended up tipping off the enemy that we were inside!"

Robin nodded once again.

"And dude! I mean, I'm just not good enough. I'm not fast as Barry or good in a fight. I'm practically useless." He sighed. "I don't even know why I'm on this team. I know Artemis doesn't want me here."

"I see." Murmured Robin.

Wally blinked. "You do?"

Robin smiled lightheartedly at him. "Yeah. You know Wally, your problem isn't that you are useless, but that you don't know how useful you are."

Wally stared at him.

Robin just smiled more. He leaned forward, continuing. "If you hadn't let those kids know I was Robin, how do you think they would feel? Sure, they would be safe, but they would be traumatized and they wouldn't remember the way you came in to save them in their nightmares. No, but now they'll remember the boy in a cage with them who was there to protect them if things went wrong. And they'll remember that subconsciously in those nightmares."

Wally felt his eyebrows furrow. He glanced up at his friend. He supposed that that could help, but . . . there were downsides to telling them it had been Robin there too.

The glint in his eyes behind the glasses could only mean that he knew what his friend was thinking. "And, you know, you can't win everything. If you could, you would be God."

Wally smiled lightly.

"And you don't have to be the fastest or the best or even a fighter. Your strengths are that you are you. You aren't perfect and that's a good thing, because we have always won in the end and that is partially your fault. If you were perfect, you wouldn't be you. And, besides, it's boring being perfect. Every mistake and mess you make makes life more interesting. And blaming others? You admit that you don't like it, therefore you can change it. Everyone has faults, dude."

Wally sat up, smiling at his friend. Though, he would admit that he had one thing still on his mind. He dropped his head. Well, actually, it was more like two . . .

"And a date? Trust me when I tell you that you should stop trying." Wally's eyes widened as his head snapped up. There was a grin on his face. "You've already been claimed. If a girl said yes, well," Robin chuckled again, "it wouldn't last too long." He continued laughing as he walked away.

Wally stood, reaching out to stop his friend. "Hey, wait! Who-"

He was interrupted by a cackle as his best friend disappeared. Wally shook his head before smirking and returning to his cookies. It was then that he realized that they were gone.

Just like the ninja.

"ROBIN!"

. . .

Robin sighed as he read through the internet article on his hologram computer. Leah Gold was a normal girl with good grades and a good mother (though he noticed the father wasn't mentioned at all) who just went missing one day. Robin pursed his lips.

He leaned against the side of the vent, taking a bit of a cookie.

Something was missing from this story. Actually, a lot was.

Robin sighed. He had more digging to do.

. . .

FudoTwin17: Okay, that was a struggle. Anyways, I've gotta get my Christmas shopping and stuff done. So, bye guys. Luv ya!


	10. Chapter 10

FudoTwin17: Hey. ***pie to the face***

All Goldfishes: ***laugh***

FudoTwin17: Okay, I admit that I deserved that. But I wanna let you guys know that I just found out that the notebook and the sketchbook that I've been using to map out this story is in Arizona. That means that I would have to travel through about eight states to get it. :( In other words, I had to rewrite this entire story.

Cat: Which sucks.

FudoTwin17: Yup. I need to update, though. You guys deserve it, and I have to rewrite the entire story anyways. :( So, enjoy, I guess.

Dog # 2: She doesn't own Young Justice.

Chapter 8

Robin's fingers moved like lightning, his lips mouthing words that Wally couldn't hear. It'd been three days of doing that almost nonstop, and Wally was beginning to worry about the younger boy's health. It couldn't be healthy to work forty hours a day!

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it wasn't that much of a stretch! And either way, Wally was worried for his best friend.

"Hey, Rob?" He spoke before waiting for a reply.

The bird didn't answer.

Wally frowned. He couldn't even tell if the younger boy heard him or not. It was like the boy was so caught up in his research that the real world was secondary. To be honest, that thought scared Wally a little bit. Ignoring reality for long enough meant that you'd be trapped in your secondary world forever. Plus, he hadn't seen the boy eat since he'd stolen those cookies (that Wally was still not over)!

"Rob?" Wally repeated, looking for a sign the bird had heard him.

There was none.

"Dude? Earth to Robin! Anyone in there?" Wally spoke, a slight nervousness just noticeable in his tone. "Rob-"

"Yes, KF?" The hacker finally spoke, looking up. His fingers halted momentarily so the other male would feel as though the boy's full attention was on him. Of course, Wally knew Robin, and he therefore still was a bit worried and unhappy knowing how his mind worked.

"When was the last time you ate?" Wally asked, his tone oddly sharp. Normally, Robin would laugh him off and make a joke about speedsters and their food. The fact that Robin's lip twitched instead immediately alerted the redhead to the fact that Robin didn't want to divulge that information. "Okay. How about slept?"

Another lip twitch.

Wally could almost feel his own lip twitching.

"Put down the computer. I'm gonna go make us food." As Robin opened his mouth to object, Wally gave him a harsh look, emerald eyes ready to cut. "Ah, ah, ah. Did I ask you anything? I'm not giving you a choice."

After a brief stare down (that Wally couldn't believe he actually won), Robin sighed and powered down his hallo-computer-whatever-ma-bob. Wally neither knew the technical term nor cared. Biology and chemistry were his areas, and he chose to stick to them.

Robin was oddly quiet and skulk-y as they ate their finely made sandwiches, and Wally had no doubt that it was less because of sandwich quality and more along the lines of it having to do with whatever case it was that Robin was working.

Because that was a case, plain and simple. Wally knew the difference between work and play when it came to Robin.

Finally, he sighed. Pausing before he took a bite, Wally spoke. "So what's going on with your little research project?"

Robin blinked at him, setting down his half-eaten sub in favor of speaking. By the subtle way Rob bit his lip before speaking, Wally faintly realized that Robin was torn about telling him about it. He tried not to let it show how much that bothered him. "Okay. So, on a mission I came into contact with a girl."

"Ooh, la la." Wally joked. The way the youngest member of the team's shoulders dropped in silent laughter made him smile.

"Anyways, she was . . . strange. She helped me out, but I couldn't get a read on her. I don't know if she's villain or hero. So I researched her for a bit getting nothing." Robin began, leaning forward.

"I'm sensing an 'until' is about to be used." Wally stated simply, finishing up his sandwich.

Robin gave him a withering look. "Until I met this guy on the street. He was dirty, sick, and weak, but he was still out passing out missing person posters. The same girl was on the poster." Robin leaned forward, obviously much too involved in his work to set it down. "Her name is Leah Gold. She was a fairly good student seemingly intent on becoming a police officer or working in social services. She wasn't very involved in school, but she had an after-school job at – oh, and get this – at a self-defense class, a fairly good one at that by the name of Sudo's Karate Club."

"Okay. So she could defend herself or fight." Wally stated, leaning forward.

Encouraged, Robin continued, his voice lowering and speeding up as he became more and more invested in Wally's understanding. "Yeah. Her mother was single and raising her and her brother after her dad supposedly committed suicide, but I did some digging and it looked like murder to me. I'll probably end up talking to the local officials after I figure out the case."

Wally nodded. Seeing that the younger was trailing off, he spoke up. "How did she get involved in possible vigilantism, then?"

Robin snapped to attention, fingers drumming on the table. "Well, a few years ago she went missing."

Wally frowned. "How many?"

"You weren't Kid Flash yet." Robin stated.

"Oh." Wally stated, waving the younger hero on.

"Officials think she was lured into a car on her way home from school. However, what I noticed was the town. The town is really special." Robin's voice had an edge to it that Wally knew too well. It was barely noticeable, but his voice had a sharpness to it that meant that Robin was about to divulge something huge. "For a while they had their own vigilante. Here, let me show you-"

Before he could pick up his computer again, Wally cut him off. "Uh-uh. No computer until you finish your food."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll summarize it." He took a small bit of his food and rushed on, talking almost as fast as the Flash. "So a few years back they had a superhero called Sargent."

"Sargent? What kind of name is that?" Wally asked, giving Robin time to take another hurried bite of the sandwich his best friend made so lovingly for him. However, Robin rose an eyebrow at that and glanced at him.

"Says Kid Flash." He noted.

"Touché." Wally muttered.

"Anyways, this hero was young. She was in the same age group with the same general physical features as our missing Leah Gold. Now adding in the fact that she could fight, she could very well be the Sargent. Even worse, though, the Sargent went missing around the same time Leah Gold did." Robin informed him. Wally's eyes widened faintly at the insinuation. Robin was in much too deep with this one. "Now, even more incriminating is the fact that during her last few months, Sargent was known for having a partner her age known as Soldier."

Wally would have snorted if not for the dangerous terrain.

Robin continued seriously. "Soldier was a male with similar features to the guy who stopped me on the street. Soldier still protects Alex-"

"Alex?" Wally spoke in confusion. "Who's Alex?"

"Not a person." Robin stated simply, seemingly not bothered by having to stop again for an interruption. "It's the town. Alex, Oklahoma."

"Oh. Well, carry on, then." Wally replied, crossing his arms as he watched his friend pick at the rest of his sandwich. Che, food-waster.

"Soldier's still protecting Alex, but he's doing it alone. I think he might be one of the only ones still looking for her. It looks like she was presumed MIA and left like that." Robin stated, eyebrows furrowed. "Now, I did a little research, and I figured it out. She was kidnapped as Sargent which is why there wasn't a fight as a civilian. It couldn't be staged realistically by her family. Because she was kidnapped, and there's still at least one of them looking for her, I think that she's playing on the other side of the law."

Wally frowned. "But what would make a hero change sides?"

Robin hesitated. "I don't know, but I did see something in some videos I caught of her. I think she works on a team. They don't have much power when it comes to computers and hacking, but I noticed that in one of the videos, you can just catch her back. On her back, there's a number burned into her skin."

Wally's eyes widened dramatically. "Burned?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah. It's a number six."

Wally frowned. "Six? What's it stand for?"

"I think . . ." Robin licked his lips, tearing the bread. "I think it stands for the number in their group that she is. What order she was taken in. So looking at the fact that she was a child superhero, I looked for other child superheroes that were kidnapped or disappeared. I found five other cases I think are viable, but . . . ."

"But what?" Wally asked, watching the tired way that Robin's face dropped.

"I caught the number on another one of them. It was a number eleven." Robin stated. Wally's eyes widened at the new information. "I don't know how or why they ended up on the other side, but I think that they're all being forced into it."

"That's . . . That's crazy. How would someone control them if any of them turned? I mean, if it's a bunch of superheroes against this one kidnapper, why don't they just gang up on them? Could this person have other people to keep them in line?" Wally asked, giving Robin time to finish up his sandwich. "How much time was there between kidnapping and beginning to work for the kidnapper?"

"She began working no less than three weeks after her kidnapping." Robin stated darkly. "What I don't like about this case, though, is the fact that no one noticed. Someone's been plucking child superheroes, our age and less, without anyone realizing it, and they've been doing it for years. We have a serial kidnapper on the loose and he or she or they have been taking superheroes without anyone ever realizing. Once this comes up to Bats, he's going to be angry. The entire superhero community will be angry." Robin sighed. "But before I can show him this, I need to get more information."

"What kind of information?" Asked Wally, eying the tired boy wearily.

"What superheroes have been taken, why are they working for the enemy, how the enemy gets their information, who the enemy is, where they've been taken to, what have the superheroes been forced to do, and how long some of the heroes have been in captivity." Robin sighed. "This isn't going to be a good case."

"Well, count me in." Wally stated, standing.

"Count you . . . ." Robin blinked in surprise, staring up at his best friend.

"I'm not letting you work a case in which kid heroes go missing. No way, bro. I'm going to help, and, no, you cannot refuse." Wally grinned at his best friend, and when a slow smile made it's way to Robin's face, he couldn't help the realization that this case was possibly the most dangerous one he'd ever helped Robin with before.

After all, they were child superheroes researching the serial kidnappings of other child heroes.

This would not be a good case.

. . .

FudoTwin17: Ugh. It's hard to update when the plot I already wrote is gone. I don't like it. I'm, once again, never writing out a story plot beforehand. It's hard and painful when I loose things. :(

Goldfish # 4: Stop whining. Anyways, she hopes you enjoy this while she goes and starts redoing all the characters.

FudoTwin17: Yes. And I also hope you guys like the new twist. Originally, Robin was going to be stuck and emotionally tormented over how he couldn't find anything, and KF wasn't gonna be involved at all, but since that plot is gone, so is that little angle. To be honest, I like this better. Robin's tracking the team while the team's tracking him. I hope you guys like it!

Cat: Read and Review! Bye!


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